


Ringmaster's Red

by wolfzaa



Series: Barlyle Prompts & Ficlets [2]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Ficlet, M/M, Phillip in Denial, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, well that's not much of a surprise is it?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-21
Updated: 2018-01-21
Packaged: 2019-03-07 16:34:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 322
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13438827
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wolfzaa/pseuds/wolfzaa
Summary: Gentlemen usually wore black, or white, grey, navy, dark green, deep maroon--- anything but vivid red.P.T. wore it as though he owned the color.





	Ringmaster's Red

**Author's Note:**

> **Reminder:** Every Barlyle fic I write will be a canon divergence where Charity has already passed away because I love her too much to let P.T. cheat on her.
> 
> (It doesn't matter in this ficlet, but... you know. Just in case.)

 

P.T. was born to wear red.  Or perhaps red was created to be P.T.’s; it didn’t matter. 

Gentlemen usually wore black, or white, grey, navy, dark green, deep maroon--- anything but vivid red.  P.T. wore it as though he owned the color.  He was born to wear that long red coat with golden braids and cords that shone bright under the light.

“Red suits you,” P.T. said the first time Phillip tried the outfit on.  The younger man glanced at him through the mirror.  P.T. was leaning against the door frame behind him with eyes fixed on Phillip’s red vest, looking too pleased with himself.

Phillip snorted.

“Apparently, every color suits me.”

P.T. stifled a chuckle. “As well as arrogance.”

“Don’t be jealous just because you only look good in red.”

P.T. arched his eye brow, a smile still plastered on his face.

“Oh, do I?” _  
_

_That_ was a slip of the tongue.  Phillip cursed silently and quickly regained his composure.  He cleared his throat, picked the top hat up, then turned around to face the man and smiled in fake confidence.

“If it could increase the percentage of my shares, then yes,” Phillip said, “You look good in red.”

P.T. chose not to say and left the room with a knowing grin.  Heat crept up Phillip’s neck as he went.

Sometimes, Phillip forgot that he could put on his best fake smile and a nonchalant mask in front of anyone but Barnum.  He was no man to deceive.  That critic Bennett was right to call him a conman.  P.T. was a master of deceiving; of course he could see right through people’s mask, including Phillip’s.

Damn him.

Phillip sighed as he turned back to the full-length mirror.  He faked a smile, put on his coat, and told himself that red suited him better.

 

(P.T. owned the color anyway; who cared.)

 


End file.
